I only alloted a full day to check out Jodphur. I booked a train from Mt. Abu early tomorrow morning so I wanted to do the 3 major sites in about 4 or 5 hours. First stop was the Meherangarh Fort where the maharajah of Jodphur use to live. I could see it from the rooftop restaurant in my hotel. It's massive and impressive from a distance...it's amazingly stunning and beautiful up close. I spent two hours touring the fort. The audio tour was good and informative...one of the better audio tours I've ever done. If the only thing I saw in Jodphur was the Meherangarth...my stop in Jodphur was well worth it. It's very different from the Jaisalmer Fort...more elegant in a way and well kept. I stayed in a hotel in the Jaisalmer Fort and there were many hotels, restaurants and shops inside. The Meherangarh was primarily for sightseeing, there were a few shops but it was more organized and less chaotic. I wanted to stay longer but I had contracted a ricksaw driver to take me to a couple other places.
The next stop was the Jaswant Thada...a milky white marble memorial a kilometer from the Meherangarh. It was a nice place but nothing compared to the fort. From a distance, I could see the Umaid Bhawan Palace and Museum. That was my last stop. It was a huge and beautiful palace but from some reason I wasn't too impressived...I wasn't feeling the place.
I met a few travellers from Hong Kong at the Jaswant Thada. They told me that to skip Chittorgarh from Udaipur and head to Bundi instead before heading to Pushkar. They told me that it's a must see. They were the second group of people who told me to go. My plans are constantly changing...in a good way but I my have to take another day from my trip to Pushkar or Udaipur...decisions, decisions, decisions...it's a great feeling though...having all these great choices. I know I'm going to be exhausted when I get to Mysore. I'll need a vacation from my vacation...
My stay in Jodphur is short and straight to the point. It was worth the stop. I'm sure there are more things to do but I'm ready to move on. My train for Mt. Abu is at 5:30AM tomorrow. I hope to sleep early tonight.